


Grave Tidings (Restored and Edited)

by Finfan89



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Anger, Angst, Death, Deaths denial, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-25 16:28:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3817204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finfan89/pseuds/Finfan89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'' Nori son of Fori. I have arrived from Erebor with a message addressed to you.'<br/>...<br/>'' I come forth with ill tidings from Master Bofur. Your brother, Dori son of Fori...<br/>...<br/>'' There must be a mistake.''</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grave Tidings (Restored and Edited)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bofur1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/gifts).



> Author Note: I was greatly inspired by the story ' Your Wayward Brother, Nori' by Bofur1!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the story or characters of J.R.R. Tolkien, or hold ownership to neither story created by 'Bofur1' or of any characterization said Author has created for the Tolkien characters.

It was early morning.

 

The sun was just rising from beyond the horizon and coloring the woods surrounding the human settlement of Bree in soft golden light, when Nori son of Fori was abruptly startled from slumber by a fair sized chestnut dropping onto his nose and bouncing off.

 

The thief uttered a low, sleepy groan and changed positions until he was lying on his side and promptly dozing off again under his cloak and blanket.

 

He wouldn't have woken up for some time yet if another chestnut hadn't been dropped on his left ear.

 

With a vicious curse Nori sprang up into a sitting position and glowered up into the high branches of the tree with blurry unfocused eyes.

 

There was a small baby squirrel bouncing atop a branch and chattering madly at him.

 

'' Oh, bugger off and le' me alone ya annoyn' animal!'' he groused out at the squirrel that only seemed to find his annoyance amusing.

 

Nori yawned sleepily and rubbed a hand over his eyes to get out the grit before pushing aside his blanket and coat.

 

Deciding to forego any more sleep now that he was awake, the dwarrow reached behind and pulled his travelling-pack in front of him. He fished his hand inside it a moment before pulling out some of his food-rations.

 

But as he was going to take a first bite, a noise up in the sky made him look up.

 

A black raven was circling the air like it was looking for something in the forest.

 

Or someone.

 

Suddenly distracted, Nori lowered his hand and stared down at his lap.

For a moment he wondered why seeing a raven would distract him so much, but then he recalled Roac's arrival and the news he'd brought of Smaug's demise. Their celebration of reclaiming the treasure had been short-lived before everything had fallen into devastation; first the Gold-sickness had taken over their leader, and then the Battle of Five Armies had ended up being the downfall of three of their company.

 

Thorin and his nephews Fili and Kili had all gone to the Halls of Mandos, and the line of Durin had fallen that day.

 

The aftermath of the battle had been haunting Nori's mind ever since; now even more since receiving heart-breaking tidings of three more of their former company having been slaughtered in the Mines of Khazad Dum.

 

One of them his own little brother, Ori.  
  


Running a hand through his thic hair that had strands of grey mixed in with the ginger locks, Nori closed his eyes for a moment and just breathed.

 

It had been ten years since Gimli son of Gloin had brought in that message, and yet whenever he thought of his little brother's ill fate, it made him pause.

 

Dori with his fussypot, overbearing character still intact, was now the only one of his immediate family whom was still there to welcome him home.

 

Nori shook his head and took a bite of the dried meat in his hand.

 

He really needed to stop thinking about these things when it was so early in the morning. It never ceased to distract him.

 

...

 

Indeed he had been greatly distracted by memories.

 

Hence, a black crow had fluttered on top a branch hanging directly above Nori's head.  
  


It had it's gleaming eyes fixed on the necklace of incredibly beautiful, massive white pearls sticking out of the dwarrow's pack.

 

Without weighing the risks or imagining that the dwarrow could have been a thief himself, the bird lifted its wings and took off into the air.

 

But as the crow took it's change, Nori had noticed the jewelry sticking too far out and moved to push it deeper into the folds of the pack.

 

With a startled squaking sound, the black-crow collided claws first against the back of the dwarrow's head.

 

A yip of pain and startlement escaped Nori's lips at the contact and a short scuffle broke out as he moved his hands backwards to grab the very unlucky bird between them.

 

He glared at the wriggling, squaking animal and wrestled with the urge to choke the animal to it's death as he snarled: '' YOU STAY AWAY FRO' MY CAMP OR I'LL ROAST YA!''

 

Finally, he threw the bird viciously in the air and watched it falter for a moment before getting wind under its wings.

 

A rather good thing, too, as he'd been caught by a rather miffed thief.

 

'' Wh' does every creature in this damn fores' have somethin' agains' me?'' Nori growled out as he touched the back of his head lightly. '' Mahal's beard, how ca' this day ge' any worse?'''

 

When he pulled his hand away, there was blood tinting his palm.

 

'' This bette' be the las' time I'm gettin' punished by woodlan' creatures this mornin'!'' he hissed out grumpily, digging his hands inside his travelling pack.

 

He fished around in his pack again and pulled out a blue bottle of liquid with antiseptic qualities and a role of bandages Dori had practically shoved in his hands in their last moments together before the time he left to go on another journey.

 

His older brother had done nothing to hide the worry lines on his aging face as he gave his warning to stay out of trouble and prattling his customary advice to not get himself hurt or killed.

 

Nori could clearly remember Dori almost pulling him into a rib-breaking hug before composing himself just in time. The shoulder squeeze he'd given his younger brother before ushering him towards the front door had been more gratefully received.

...

 

'' Nori son of Fori. I have arrived from Erebor with a message addressed to you.''

 

Nori almost cried out in shock at the croaky voice that had cut the silence from high above a branch behind him, and whirled around with a knife in hand.

 

_''Comfound him and his distractions this bloody morning!'''_

 

The black Raven gave a startled squack and dodged the flying knife Nori had flung in his direction.

 

'' Really now, is this the way to greet a messenger, Master Nori?'' the crow exclaimed indignantly as it flapped in the air for a moment before landing on the branch.

 

'' Ya would be this way if a squirre' had woken ya at odd hours of the mornin' an' havin' a damn crow try to steal from ya.'' Nori snapped out vehemently as he glared up at the bird sitting on the branch.'' Now, wha' was the message ya had for me?''

 

The crow cleared it's throat importantly.

 

'' I come forth with ill tidings from Master Bofur. Your brother, Dori son of Fori had caught a severe illness that had been going around the area of Erebor and New Dale...''

 

Nori felt his chest tightening at the raven's words. He swallowed hard and clenched his hands into fists at his sides.

 

''… and burned from the illness until his body could no longer take the strain. He never recovered.''

 

Nori felt all blood drain from his face and his fingers tightened to the point where his nails were drawing blood.

 

_Oh Mahal, no! Not his brother! Not Dori!_

 

'' There must be a mistake.'' he managed to vocalize without stuttering.'' Dori is strong. My brother wouldn't let an illness be his downfall.''

 

The raven gave a huff at his words. He looked very miffed as he croaked: '' That is the message I was told to give you. And I find it quite demeaning that you would think I'd misunderstood message I was to deliver.''

 

Nori uttered an angry hiss at the creature as it gave him a look that showed a sliver of sympathy.

 

'' I shall take my leave of you, master dwarrow, unless you have a message to send back to your kin?!'''

 

Nori's jaw clenched.

 

Taking his silence as an answer, the raven turned it's back on him and spread it's magnificent wings to lift off from the air.

 

_Swwiiishhh!_

 

_Thunk!_

 

_Thump!_

 

Turning his back on a thief had been a grave mistake on the crow's part. Because as soon as his wings had lifted him off the tree a polished, sharpened dagger had cut it's flight short by striking the back of it's neck with deadly accuracy.

 

It hadn't even managed to utter one single squack before it dropped down to the forest floor with a light thud.

 

Nori was trembling wildly as he stumbled his way over to the dead animal.

 

It lay face first on the ground; it's black wings stretched across the short grass and small stones.

 

'' You talk too much, storm-crow!'' Nori spat out as he wrenged his dagger free of the raven's body and stumbled backwards until his back hit the trunk of the Oak Tree behind him.

 

'' Dori isn't dead! H- he...''

 

Nori felt his legs grow numb and give way under him. He sunk down on the ground with his back scraping against the wood.

 

'' Dori, you have to be there waiting for me.'' he whispered out, holding his dagger like a life-line.'' Please, brother, you promised you would make potato-chips with me the next time I come visiting.''

 

With great effort he forced himself back on his feet and make his way back to his camp; where he wasted no time in packing up his things and saddling his pony '' Gem'' whom had been munching on the longer grass near his camp.

…

 

_Chatter, chatter! Chatter, chatter! Chatter, chatter!_

 

Nori wearily glanced up to see the fluffy, baby squirrel that had woken him up at the crack of dawn to face what was to be one of the foulest, most mind numbing days of his life.

 

And the dratted animal had returned to it's post and had dared to open it's mouth and laugh at him.

 

Nori's breath hitched ever-so slightly as he quickly turned his head and pushed off from the ground to seat himself up in Gem's saddle.

 

_Chatter, chatter! Chatter, chatter! Chatter, chat-!_

 

The baby squirrel's laugh was cut off in a split second when it found itself with a dagger in it's eye.

 

Nori's expression was impassive as he caught the falling creature and wrenged his knife free of the dead body before throwing the squirrel on the ground.

 

He had no care as to what happened to the dead bodies of the raven and squirrel. Some other wandering beast would find them and devour them on their will.

….....

 

THE END...

**Author's Note:**

> Author Note: And I apologise to all my readers for having removed the story from before. I was taking out another story! 
> 
> The Balrog be my bane for eternity!


End file.
